From InformationWeek:

Carly Fiorino set off a maelstrom of speculation Tuesday when she
mentioned during her Prudential Securities conference keynote speech
that Hewlett-Packard was rethinking its proposed buyout of
PricewaterhouseCoopers' management-consulting division.

HP CEO Fiorino said her company is "re-examining every aspect of the
transaction, including price." Leaks at HP in September indicated that
the deal was originally valued at about $18 billion in cash and stock.
An HP spokesman Wednesday refused to comment on a rumor that the
company is now unwilling to pay more than $15 billion. He did confirm
that buyout negotiations continue. PricewaterhouseCoopers couldn't be
reached for comment.

Fiorino in her speech cautioned that these negotiations were taking
place amid changing market conditions and that HP would proceed in a
"very disciplined and deliberate" way to ensure that it reached a deal
that's acceptable to its shareholders.

HP and PricewaterhouseCoopers have sizable stakes in making the deal
work. The addition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' 31,500 employees would
better position HP Services to compete with the largest service
companies, including IBM Global Services. A deal also would get the
Security & Exchange Commission-unhappy with accounting firms that also
have consulting practices-off PricewaterhouseCoopers' back. - Larry
Greenemeier



--
***************************************************************
 Paul Edwards                     HP 3000 Certified Consultant
 Paul Edwards & Associates        Phone: (972) 242-6660
 1506 Estates Way                 Fax  : (972) 446-9022
 Carrollton TX 75006              Email: [log in to unmask]
***************************************************************